Undoubtedly, one of the most common and far-reaching wastes in our industry is lost opportunity stemming from ineffective adult training. It robs employees of both fulfillment and enrichment. And the effects of the lack of training penetrate in concentric circles throughout all the associated workflow processes. Training is the foundation stone supporting absolutely everything we do. It is an indispensable difference-maker that must be done with the highest degree of excellence. Accidents, miscalculations, inefficiencies, confusion, poor performance and wrong decisions can all be traced back to ineffective adult training.
Many in our industry have forgotten training is a profession, requiring skilled practitioners to achieve the desired results. This forgetfulness has led to widespread experimentation with internal training, and the results in many cases are mediocre at best. The assumption is if a person has excelled in a certain discipline, they should be competent to train in that discipline even though they may not have any experience or education in adult learning. The reality is this is a good way to give your competition an advantage. Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric, was most insightful when he stated, “An organization’s ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage.” Isn’t it ironic in our industry much of the money wasted is in our efforts to save money?
For many employees, training has become a dreaded chore when it doesn’t have to be. Among the most powerful natural passions of human beings is the thirst for knowledge. Shrewd companies recognize this and turn it into their competitive advantage by engaging their employees in high-quality training. Is there a risk other companies will recruit your employees after you invest in their training? Perhaps you recall the observation of Henry Ford, the ingenious founder of Ford Motor Co., when he said, “The only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave is not training them and having them stay.”
When seeking out effective adult training, at least five key elements must be considered:
- Inspiration — You can hardly engage the mind if you have not first engaged the heart. It was Winston Churchill who said it best: “Where my reason, imagination or interest were not engaged, I would not or could not learn.” Professional educators ignite our passion for learning. Interesting history, humor, fascinating trivia, mystery, the promise of benefits, the achievements of competitors and other segues can be applied with skillful art.
- Information — Professional educators deliver on promises. The content and quality of curriculum are world class, up to date and relevant. This sets a high-expectation atmosphere and assures students they are about to participate in an experience worthy of their focus.
- Interaction — Professional trainers are masters at creating classroom chemistry and employing team-building tactics to capture the energy of human interaction. This interaction is not only conducive to knowledge sharing but also transitions into ongoing mutual accountability for action among students after the class is finished.
- Illustration — The adult learning model goes far beyond the model of repetition and rote memorization of facts. Clear connections to the students’ current job roles bring a higher degree of relevance to learning. New principles can be illuminated and simplified by comparisons to other principles already familiar to students. Skilled instructors use well-placed metaphors, similes, word pictures and rudimentary concepts to paint clear pictures of new paradigms.
- Implementation — Effective adult learning includes a strategy to transfer the knowledge from the classroom into the workplace. Without this transfer, all is wasted. Julie Dirksen, a learning strategy, and design consultant, aptly stated, “Learning experiences are like journeys. The journey starts where the learning is now and ends when the learner is successful. The end of the journey isn’t knowing more; it’s doing more.”
